TOUGH TIMES IN BRENHAM

  

Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse in Brenham, they did.  Although it wasn’t unexpected, the announcement Friday that Blue Bell Creameries was laying off 250 local workers, and furloughing another 300, felt like a huge punch in the gut for Brenham.  After the recent announcement of 160 workers being laid off by Valmont Industries, and another 64 let go by MIC Group, the local workforce has taken a big hit.  And there is likely to be more pain before things get better.  Even in the worst times of the recession, our local economic condition didn’t seem this bad.  The impact of Blue Bell shutting down production until late summer or early fall will be felt by almost everyone in Brenham and Washington County in some way.  The City of Brenham just lost a steady income stream from its largest utility customer.  And with no tours of Blue Bell this summer, the number of visitors eating in local restaurants, staying in local motels, and shopping in local stores will surely decrease.  We will get through this, but it’s going to be tough for a while.  Kudos to the Washington County Chamber of Commerce for organizing job fairs for those who are out of work.  If you or your business can employ even one of those folks laid off, even part­time, it can make a real difference to their families.

On a positive note, things are looking much better for Blinn College in the Texas Legislature.  A resounding defeat of John Rainey’s bill that would have severely restricted Blinn’s funding on the Brenham campus was a pleasant surprise.  Newly elected State Representative Leighton Schubert did an outstanding job of garnering opposition to the bill, and speaking against it on the House floor.  But there were two people working overtime behind the scene who also deserve much of the praise for the bill’s defeat.  Lobbyists Joel Romo of Chappell Hill, and former Brenhamite Curtis Fuelberg, both spent many long hours convincing House members and their staffs that House Bill 1903 was a bad bill….not only for Blinn College, but for all of the state’s community colleges. Blinn College and Washington County owe those two gentlemen a huge “thank you”!  And let’s not forget our new State Senator, Lois Kolkhorst, who is still working hard to prevent the passage of several other bills that would negatively impact Blinn College.

So there are a few positive things happening to Brenham and Washington County.  The sun even came out yesterday afternoon.  And that’s the way it looks to this Spectator.